Conventionally, a semiconductor device including a power module or the like is fixed inside a heat sink or a housing which is an external member. When a semiconductor device is fixed inside, for example, a housing in this way, a screw is used, for example. However, while a through hole through which the screw passes is being aligned with a screw hole, the semiconductor device easily moves with respect to the housing. This causes an issue such as a reduction in the efficiency of assembly work. In order to solve such inconvenience, a configuration disclosed in JP 2015-120367 A has been proposed. A semiconductor device disclosed in this JP 2015-120367 A has positioning means that position the semiconductor device with respect to a housing before the semiconductor device is fixed to the housing. In addition, the positioning means disclosed therein include their respective positioning protrusions and positioning terminals. The positioning protrusions are provided inside side wall portions of the housing. The positioning terminals are provided in their respective power modules and have fitting holes into which their respective positioning protrusions fit. However, in providing positioning terminals as in JP 2015-120367 A, spaces for providing the positioning terminals are necessary. This leads to an increase in the external size of a semiconductor device.
It is known that slits are provided on both sides of or around their respective screw holes included in a thick metal plate constituting a lead frame (JP 2002-305280 A). However, the slits employed in this JP 2002-305280 A are merely used for processing to extrude a corresponding area surrounded by the slits.